Commission approves US Highway 78 designation through Northeast Arkansas

[The Ghostbuster]

I highly doubt it is yet, although Wikipedia's US 78 page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_78) and usends.com's US 78 page (https://www.usends.com/78.html) have both been updated to reflect US 78's new (and in my opinion, dubious) western terminus.

[MikieTimT]

Does anyone know if ARDOT has signposted US 78 yet?

The only places it ever will be done will be on the starting ends of on ramps and on the segments where it will supersede a state highway.  ARDOT is not well known for signing concurrencies on roads with multiple tiers of classification when it comes to confidence shields at least.

[freebrickproductions]

I believe US 78 is still signed on its old alignment in Memphis, from what I recall seeing at the start of last month, but I suppose that's to be expected given with the quality of route signage in the cities in Tennessee.

[The Ghostbuster]

Both ends of US 78's 1926-2023 terminuses (Memphis, TN to Charleston, SC) signed 78 poorly within their cities: https://www.usends.com/78.html. It will be interesting to see how well-signed it will be in Arkansas, although it likely won't be signed along Interstates 40 and 55.

[TheStranger]

Swa some posts (from forum user ericlipford) in the AASHTO Fall Meeting 2023 thread showing US 78 signage along Crump Boulevard in Memphis and I-55 in Arkansas, so will link them here:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?msg=2916462



https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?msg=2916877

[Avalanchez71]

This should have been signed as US 412S or US 412A.  Routing US 78 via this routing makes no routing sense.  They already built I-555.

[Road Hog]

I think if they're going that way, US 78 can be extended further from Newport to Batesville and Heber down to Conway and maybe farther west, subsuming AR 22.

Doesn't mean I'm in favor of it (US 266 out of OK is a good candidate) but this douche ex machina popped up from nowhere.

[formulanone]

douche ex machina

Gonna save that phrase in my pocket for a later date.

[The Ghostbuster]

Google Maps still hasn't been updated to include the US 78 extension to US 67/Future Interstate 57.

[roadman65]

Should really extend US 72 instead. Truncate US 78 to Birmingham and nix the long I-22/ US 78 concurrency.

[usends]

Update: I received a report that US 78 shields have been added to ground-mounted signposts along its segment between I-55 and US 67 (however, overhead signs on those freeways have not yet been changed).  Surprisingly the short concurrency with I-555 in Jonesboro is dual-signed as US 78; the only thing I haven't heard is whether Arkansas co-signed US 78 along its I-55 overlap.

[ozarkman417]

Update: I received a report that US 78 shields have been added to ground-mounted signposts along its segment between I-55 and US 67 (however, overhead signs on those freeways have not yet been changed).  Surprisingly the short concurrency with I-555 in Jonesboro is dual-signed as US 78; the only thing I haven't heard is whether Arkansas co-signed US 78 along its I-55 overlap.

US 78 is co-signed with I-55 in its concurrency. I drove the I-55 and I-555 overlaps about a week ago (no pictures from me, unfortunately).

Edit: See The Stranger's image above of US 78 and I-55 being co-signed. Also, I did not see any updated BGSs when I was down there.

[Road Hog]

I've never seen that style of side-by-side sign mounting in Arkansas before.

[roadman65]

Then what about US 61? It too concurs with US 78 along I-55?  Is it going to be signed as well? 

Probably not. So a big double standard there. Just like US 160 in CO is the only US route in that state to go outside that state's numbering convention to be signed with I-25.

[MikieTimT]

The only reason this is being co-signed with the I-55 concurrency, unlike EVEN A SINGLE OTHER Interstate in Arkansas, is to get Jonesboro and Blytheville more federal money for maintenance and marketing as a federal highway instead of just AR-18.  It's a vanity project for an ARDOT commission chairman from the area to bring home bacon.  At the end of the day, the road is already a 5 lane Arkansas freeway between Jonesboro and Blytheville, as well as from US-67 to Jonesboro along AR-226.  The area certainly needs more investment as NEA is the 2nd fastest growing area in Arkansas, but the money is better spent with US-412 to better directly connect to NWA and I-57 to pull trucks off the east half of I-40.

[vdeane]

How does it get them more money?  US routes don't get any special pot of money or anything - they're no different than any other federal aid route.  Arkansas signing US 78 is just slapping a bunch of shields down for little/no reason.

[Rothman]

How does it get them more money?  US routes don't get any special pot of money or anything - they're no different than any other federal aid route.  Arkansas signing US 78 is just slapping a bunch of shields down for little/no reason.

Yep, a concurrency with an Interstate doesn't help any state get more federal-aid funding.

[rte66man]

douche ex machina

Gonna save that phrase in my pocket for a later date.

Are you sure you would save it in a pocket?

[Road Hog]

Then what about US 61? It too concurs with US 78 along I-55?  Is it going to be signed as well? 

Probably not. So a big double standard there. Just like US 160 in CO is the only US route in that state to go outside that state's numbering convention to be signed with I-25.

Someone should make a meme where the dude (I-55) is looking back at US 78 while holding the hand of US 61.

[The Ghostbuster]

The US 78 designation in Arkansas has been added to Google Maps. However, only the portion from Interstate 555 in Jonesboro (Exit 39) to Interstate 55 in Blytheville (Exit 67) is marked. The rest of the extension of US 78 into Arkansas will likely be added to Google Maps in due time.

[cockroachking]

Then what about US 61? It too concurs with US 78 along I-55?  Is it going to be signed as well? 

Probably not. So a big double standard there. Just like US 160 in CO is the only US route in that state to go outside that state's numbering convention to be signed with I-25.

Someone should make a meme where the dude (I-55) is looking back at US 78 while holding the hand of US 61.

Like this?

[Road Hog]

Nailed it!